X-Factors for success: Houston Rockets vs. Memphis Grizzlies

The Houston Rockets will take on the Memphis Grizzlies tonight on ESPN at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Grizzlies head into tonight’s preseason bout 2-1 while the Rockets remain a perfect 3-0. The Rockets have beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder, Shanghai Sharks and New York Knicks, each by a wide margin, and have shown very little interest in resting their starters, as evidenced by the 37 minutes played by James Harden on Monday night against the Knicks. The Grizzlies have beaten the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers, but fell short to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

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For the Rockets, Tarik Black didn’t make the trip to New York and will not be joining the team in Memphis, either. Black has a sore knee that still has some swelling in it, but Mike D’Antoni isn’t very worried. It seems as if they’ll try to get him back for the final home game, but just want to make sure he’s healthy moving into the season. Chris Paul sat out last game with a sudden right shoulder contusion, but that was the first we heard of a shoulder injury. Paul will officially play tonight and D’Antoni revealed that Paul would’ve played the last game if it were a regular season game. That being said, the preseason is taken very seriously in Houston, as Harden explained.

The Grizzlies will be without likely starting two-guard Ben McLemore since he’s recovering from foot surgery. Fellow shooting guard Wayne Selden is doubtful after a quad injury. Marc Gasol made his preseason debut against the Hawks on Monday after tweaking his ankle earlier this summer, and he’s expected to play against the Rockets. These teams will see each other four times within the first month of the NBA season so expect the stars, and coaches, to try and get a good look at the opposing team (while not showing too much).

X-Factors for success is a new column that will be presented each game day ahead of the contest to be played. In it, we will analyze the X-Factors for the upcoming game and the keys to their success. Here are our three X-Factors vs. Memphis:

1. Limit Marc Gasol’s effectiveness down low

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The obvious: Marc Gasol is a really talented basketball player. The understated: Marc Gasol is a really talented basketball player. Yes, I’m aware those are the same – it’s also true. Gasol is a premier defensive player in this league and he’s every bit as talented passing the ball as nearly any big man. He has good finishing ability and a soft touch when he chooses to step out and take a jumper. The Knicks’ front court players had a field day against the Rockets whether it be rebounding the ball or scoring it. Not to mention, the Knicks were running undersized lineups all night with Kristaps Porzingis hurt and a host of other big men sitting out. In order to stay in control of the game, the Rockets’ bigs need to contain Gasol and force him off his game. It’s easier said than done, but they’ll need to muscle him. He’s tough, but it’s better than trying to out-quick him at the five.

2. Work on not turning the ball over

The Rockets committed 24 turnovers last game against a pretty terrible Knicks unit. Enes Kanter was their defensive anchor, which should tell you something. This year’s Houston team will get a lot more possessions per game than most teams given their pace so the turnover numbers may not be truly indicative of their play, but that’ll still lead to points off of those turnovers. The Rockets pass a lot, which is a great thing, but it’s important for them to stay within themselves; sometimes when they get going and hitting shots, the Rockets love to play something reminiscent of pick-up basketball. Each player except the center takes a 26-footer and that’s the groove the Rockets sometimes find themselves in. If they can keep their composure and make the right passes, they’ll be in good shape. Less turnovers means less time chasing a fastbreak.

3. Keep shooting

This last one may sound funny because it’s basically all Houston does; in fact, the Rockets have made 68 three pointers through their four preseason games while the Grizzlies have attempted only 72 this preseason. With that being said, Memphis is a solid enough defensive team to try and force Houston to take shots outside of their game-plan. With Paul and Harden dishing it, there should be plenty of open looks from distance, but it’s important not to try and change their plan too much heading into the contest. This Rockets team is really good when they play their game, and they struggle when they play to their opponents’ style. Simply put, keep shooting.

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